Another Storm Is Brewing
Posted on | June 15, 2009 | 11 Comments
With blog titles of “Ramblers Betray Scotland” and “Have the Ramblers gone completely mad?” you can’t help but get the message that Chris Townsend and Cameron McNeish are a bit mad with the Ramblers.
After reading the posts by these outdoors celebrities you can’t but help thinking that they have a point. But the Ramblers are not the first to be so short sighted in their thinking nor will they be the last. Who can forget the YHA in England and the way they have turned their backs on walkers by closing down Youth Hostels that can not be gotten to easily by the car for the city break visitor but were vital for the walker/backpacker.
It does seem that there is a lot of friction and “two tribes going to war” at the moment in the outdoors world. We have the outdoors writers doing a David and Goliath thing by taking on “Big Business” and their abuse of a monopoly (read “WH Smith And Penguin Screw You Over” for more on that).
It would be nice if we could just get along, go out and enjoy the outdoors, and encourage others to do the same. But sometimes we have to have these skirmishes to fight vested interests and make sure that everyone is treated fairly and equally.
Sadly by the looks of it this new battle is with one of those guardians we have come to rely on to protect us from the big nasty world out there. Sadly their message to Scotland and Wales seems to be the same as that of the YHA to walkers/backpackers, “stuff you, you just aren’t important any more”.
Finally I asked Chris on Facebook what can folks do.This is his reply:
“Writing to Ramblers Head Office at ramblers@ramblers.org.uk to object and to Ramblers Scotland at Scotland@ramblers.org.uk to express support is worth doing. Also, if you have any spare cash, Dennis Canavan, Scottish Ramblers President has started an appeal for £200,000 to keep Ramblers Scotland going –
UPDATE:It seems that this link doesn’t work as soon as I get a working one I’ll put it up. http://www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland/press/lastest/Canavan+launches+Ramblers+appeal.htm”
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11 Responses to “Another Storm Is Brewing”
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June 15th, 2009 @ 6:43 pm
Looks like there is a problem with that last Ramblers Scotland link Darren. That, or I’m too quick off the mark and it just ain’t there yet!
Rob
June 15th, 2009 @ 6:49 pm
Rob, thanks for that I should of checked it out before posting DOH!
June 15th, 2009 @ 7:14 pm
Darren, try this one:
http://www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland/ourwork_scotland/Appeal+for+Funds.htm
Cheers,
Rob
June 15th, 2009 @ 7:48 pm
Darren, thanks for posting this. It needs as much publicity as possible.
Your link was fine but the Ramblers changed the press release today and the URL with it. Rob’s is the current one.
June 15th, 2009 @ 8:01 pm
Rob, thanks for doing that.
Chris, thanks for clearing that up. I don’t feel such a fool now ^__^
June 15th, 2009 @ 9:55 pm
Why cannot this great walkers charity go to the lottery funds in grant appeal for this shortfall money?!! I thought that was the reason that the Ramblers staff in the London office, in switching the public perception to walking for health and wellness benefits as well as enjoyment, over the last few years had been successful in getting much needed lotto grants money there, isn’t it?
June 16th, 2009 @ 7:21 am
I note Grough has posted this story, too.
“Financial difficulties are causing the Ramblers to propose cutbacks in staffing and support services right across its GB operations. ”
I’ve noted on Grough that if I continued to have an office in the centre of London, I may well be facing a cash crisis. They should get out and have an office ‘among us’ and in a cheaper part of the UK.
I certainly have had no cause to visit head office in person, and suspect most other members are the same. Just why is it, with a group that was effectively kick started with a trespass in Derbyshire, they have a – no doubt expensive – office in London?
I’m grateful to Chris and Cameron for highlighting this issue, and will be objecting directly to the ramblers as a member of many years.
June 16th, 2009 @ 10:10 am
Baz, thanks for that comment. I usually read Grough but haven’t for a couple of days. Thanks for reminding me of them covering this.
June 16th, 2009 @ 4:58 pm
I can think of one or two ‘lost’ youth hostels over the years that could have made a very nice head quarters for a walking group AND allowed the building to remain in use as a hostel when compared to the cost of London office space. But hey, I suppose it is radical thinking basing a ‘business’ like that in a place where it might benefit it’s members…
June 16th, 2009 @ 5:06 pm
Rob, sometimes it’s the radical thinking that is needed, and not just an expensive rebranding exercises.
thanks for the comment, it’s a great one once more
June 19th, 2009 @ 10:17 am
[...] so says Cameron McNeish. Chris Townsend is also dismayed by events down south and bloggers such as Darren are taking up the cause. It all boils down to the Ramblers rebranding themselves as an urban [...]